Background:
One consideration for the intake design I’ve been working on is the turbo inlet elbow and whether to adapt the intake to work with existing elbows or make a custom elbow.
One upside I see to the custom route is addressing the low crankcase vacuum associated with the available commercial inlet elbows.
Second, I am currently using the Mabotech M520 turbocharger, and the inlet of the compressor housing is larger than the commercial elbow outlets that I am aware of.
Note: The Mabotech M520 elbow is the correct size for the turbo, but it does not address the low crankcase vacuum, and it is sized at the inlet to work with a stock-size intake hose, which I believe leaves room for improvement.
M520 TIP Design:
The first step in designing the M520 TIP is addressing how it will attach to the turbocharger and accommodate an inlet profile that transitions smoothly.
Because I am routinely swapping out parts on my GTI, I emphasize ease of removal and installation.
To that end, the elbow is designed to be rotated and locked into place, similar to the stock elbow, but utilizing the screws that hold the Mabotech TIP in place.
The first full prototype for checking clearances is shown below:
The product fits reasonably well. It would be functional in the present form, but I have identified a couple of tweaks to make it better.
This version is sized for a three-inch inlet hose, found on products from MST, do88, and IE.
I have decided to stick with a conventional 3″ inlet size for now so that I can test the elbow with the commercial parts I have on hand.